Pad-work Conditioning Drill for Fighters.

Below is a pad-work drill we use at Raja Academy of Martial Arts here in Greenville, SC.

This is a Thai pad drill where the fighter is only allowed to throw kicks and knees (no punches allowed) and has to defend against the strikes of the pad holder. The drill is tough and is intended to build both mental and physical toughness as well as improve kick and knee volume in preparation for a fight. This makes it an especially good drill for those fighters who rely too much on their hands.

Are You Sparring Too Much?

I recently came across an article regarding MMA fighter Jamie Varner and his recent retirement. In it, Varner talks about his concerns that too much sparring can lead to severe head trauma and prematurely end a fighter's career.

The whole article can be read here at Bloody Elbow - good stuff.

This brings up a great point that I've talked about in the past. Namely, brain trauma is a serious concern for those of us involved in full-contact fight sports and we should take steps to prevent it. The effects of brain trauma accumulate over time and can lead to progressively worse issues - slower reaction speeds, impaired memory and speech patterns, changes in personality, impaired motor control, and even dementia.

Not fun stuff.

In previous posts I've talked about ways to prevent brain trauma. One of the suggestions I've put forward is to take it easy on the sparring. Obviously, if you are getting hit too hard by your sparring partner then your risk for brain trauma will go up significantly.

But, even if you're sparring with light contact, could you still be sparring too much?

Learn To Utilize the Muay Thai Clinch

Muay Thai is famous for it's clinch work.

One thing I see a lot of, however, is guys who simply aren't comfortable being "clinched" and working in the clinch (which the Thais call "plumming"). Typically, these are folks from a non-Muay Thai background like American or K-1 style kickboxing or western boxing.

So, in today's video I want you guys to see a very simple, basic drill you can throw into your training to help you become more comfortable in the clinch and learn to gain/maintain a "dominant" position when clinching. I asked my Kru, Harun Raja of Raja Academy of Martial Arts here in Greenville, SC to teach this drills.

Enjoy -

First Ever Shaolin Temple Fighting Tournament

The South China Morning Post is reporting that the Shaolin Temple is planning on hosting its first ever "world martial arts competition".

It's being billed as an opportunity for martial artists all over the world to come and compete together in forms, "iron body", and even fighting (presumably San Shou/Sanda). But, as with pretty much anything in the martial arts world, this announcement is having mixed reactions.

A lot of folks are pretty excited about it. Many martial arts can trace their lineage, in some form or fashion, back to Shaolin. So, to have a tournament in this historically important martial arts "cradle" is a big deal.

However, you've also got the "anti-competition" crowd who's bitching that Shaolin is no place for this kind of event. The argument is that fighting and competing somehow hurts the reputation of the temple. Obviously, this completely ignores the fact that the temple had a fighting force which participated in armed conflicts at as far back as the Tang dynasty.

My opinion is, this is a good thing for martial arts in general and traditional martial arts specifically. Shaolin Temple is a major symbol/archetype in the martial arts community. Having an international competition where martial artists of various styles can compete as friends and fellow fighters is very positive.

What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments section.

The Floor Bag for Solo Grappling Training

In a perfect world, we'd always have access to a willing and able training partner. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and many of us are forced to spend part of our time training alone.

While this may not be a huge deal for a striker who can always work on the heavy bag or do some shadowboxing, it is kind of a big deal for a grappler (or mixed martial artist working on his ground game) who's art relies almost exclusively on partner work.

You could do solo drills on the mat, but without some sort of implement to stand in for a live partner those drills can feel a bit empty. Luckily there exists a very simple, very cheap tool you can obtain right now: a Floor Bag.

Countering Low Kick Defense

Found this video the other day and wanted to share it with you guys.

It's from Dustin Johnson out of Acadiana Muay Thai in Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Very good stuff:

Fighter's Tabata Drill

To be an effective fighter you need to develop many different skill sets and physical attributes. In addition to highly developed striking ability, grappling skills, and reaction & timing, you also need to have solid levels of physical strength and power as well as superior anaerobic power and aerobic endurance.

Today I'd like to talk with you about a simple, but very hard drill for developing both aerobic and anaerobic benefits: Tabata Intervals.

 Originally developed for Japanese Olympic speed skaters, Tabata style interval sessions can be an excellent method for fighters to utilize - if used properly. The tabata is a very short, but highly intense interval session developed by professor Izumi Tabata and speed skating coach Irasawa Koichi.

In this post I want to share with you why and how I utilize tabatas in my own training and with the fighters I work with.

How Useful is MMA in a Street Fight?

photo credit: andriuXphoto via photopin cc

Recently I was reading an article by a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner titled, Why Jiu-Jitsu is Not Suitable for Street Fighting. It got me thinking and,obviously, it reanimates the old dead-horse debate of whether or not combat sports are useful in the streets.

I've taken part in quite a few of these debates in the past. Typically they devolve into name calling, whining, and absurd claims/assertions. For the last couple of years I've avoided such discussions like the plague.

At the same time, though, it's still a topic many people are very interested in. And not just the protectors of various martial arts or combat sports. Beginners, who are new to the martial arts world, are genuinely interested in whether or not MMA is as effective in the street as it is seems in the cage.

The answer is not as cut and dry as some in the martial arts world would have you believe.

Simple Focus Mitt Drill - The 8 Count

Wanted to show you guys a basic focus mitt drill, we use at Raja Academy Muay Thai here in Greenville, SC.

 


The 8 Count Drill -

Does a Ketogenic Diet Make Sense for Fighters?

Extremely low carbohydrate diets like Paleo and Ketogenic diets seem to be very popular these days. Quite a few crossfitters and other "hardcore" fitness folks espouse the benefits of significantly cutting your carbs.

I've noticed that there are a lot of martial artists and combat athletes who are jumping on the bandwagon too. Some of these guys swear by it. But is a ketogenic diet really the best dietary approach for fighters?

How to Improve Your Shitty Kicks (in 3 Steps)!

For a lot of guys, kicking does not come naturally and they tend to focus on punching. The result is many fighters do not fully develop their kicking ability.

This is a damn shame.

Delivered properly, kicks are devastating weapons that can be used to beat your opponent into submission or knock him out in one shot. You can't truly consider yourself a "well rounded fighter" without fully developing your kicks.

If you're ready to get your ass in gear and fully develop your kicking ability, here's my 3 step plan that'll give you awesome kicks in no time!

Basic Muay Thai Pad Drill

Thai Pads are an essential training tool for any fighter. If you aren't using them, then you need to start - now.

If you're new to using thai pads and you want some good drills to get you started then you can certainly find some great examples on Youtube.

But I also want to share a video of one of the thai pad drills we use at Raja Muay Thai Academy here in Greenville, SC.

It's a great beginners drills that'll get you started on the right track.

Finding the Right MMA Gym or Martial Arts School

So, you're looking to get involved in some sort of martial art but you don't know where to start.

There are all kinds of different martial arts styles in your area and you are having a hard time figuring out which one you'd like to start training at. Or maybe you already know about what kind of style you're interested in but you've got a few choices in your area and you don't know how to differentiate them.

Whatever your issue is, I want to help you out.

I've compiled a list of questions you need to answer, and once you do, you'll know exactly where you should be training.

Sparring Like the the Thais:

Came across this great video and I wanted to share it with you guys.

It's from Kru Kiatphontip at Kiatphontip Muay Thai Gym in the UK (Leeds).



So many guys think you have to "win" a sparring match and this just isn't the case. If you think this way you're a dumbass and you're not only holding back your own training, but your holding back the training of everyone you spar with.

Train Hard,
Josh Skinner

Build Strong, Powerful Legs!

If you're a martial artist or combat athlete you already know that the vast majority of your power comes from your legs and your hips. So, if your interested in being able to deliver more power in all of your moves (strikes, kicks, throws, etc...), then you need to put some serious effort into training your legs.

Now, I know a lot you guys out there think they may need a lot of equipment to properly work their legs: a squat rack, an Olympic Barbell, a Leg Press Machine, a leg extension machine, a leg curl machine, etc....

Well, I'm here to tell you that simply isn't true. You can build a pair of super powerful legs with just two exercises that require minimal equipment: the Pistol and the Swing.

3 Quick Tips for Better Sparring!

At least once a week I get an email from a reader asking how they can improve their sparring.

It seems that most of the people reading Uncaged Fighter understand the importance of sparring. However, a lot of guys out there are apprehensive about it. The idea of hitting your training partner and
having them hit you back is unfamiliar to most combat sport newbies and "weekend warrior" martial artists. It goes against everything we were taught growing up: "Play nice", "Don't hit!", "Take turns", etc... Changing those habits in the gym or dojo can be difficult for some.

And let's not forget that being hit in the face can be scary as hell for most people!

So, I'm going to give you guys some tips that I've found very useful at really improving my sparring - and, therefore, making me a better fighter.

How to Combine Swings and the Heavy-Bag for a Kick-Ass Workout!

I'm always looking for ways to save time when training.

In addition to my day job, family life, and social/community obligations I also have to juggle networking, blogging, and find the time to train and workout.

I get the impression that a lot of martial artists and fighters are having similar issues.

So, I want to share with you guys one of my favorite workouts. It combines two tools every fighter should be using: the heavy-bag and kettlebells.

Want to Better Understand Muay Thai?

NatGeo has a great documentary on Muay Thai. Check it out:


Train Hard,
Josh Skinner

The First Annual Shidokan Cup (Aug. 18th 2012 - ATL, Ga.)

Richard Trammell doing what he does best...

I really wanted to share this with you guys.

It's a write-up of the 1rst Annual Shidokan Cup Karate Tournament and was written by Sensei Richard Trammell of Shidokan Atlanta.

Sensei Trammell and Shidokan Atlanta put on an awesome tournament that was fun to watch and amazing to compete in. Here's what Richard has to say about Shidokan and the past weekend's tournament:

Brain Power = Punching Power!

 I just came across this interesting article:

Powerful Punch is All in the Brain, Study Finds

Pretty neat stuff, but it shouldn't come as a surprise to the regulars here: Repetitive practice creates far more neurological adaptations than "muscular adaptations".

Let me know what you guys think.


Train Hard,
Josh Skinner